“When God Says, Not This One”

Romans 8:28–31

Not this one is defined as none, nothing; neither one. 

God is for us. Nothing in time or eternity, in heaven or on earth, no force of evil, no demon from hell, absolutely nothing will ever separate us from the Lord and from His love for us. When Satan wants to destroy a saint, he must get permission before he touches him. So he comes to God and says, “Job only worships you because he’s rich. If I take his camels, donkeys, servants, he’ll curse you.” And God gives him permission, but he puts a limit. “Don’t you touch his body.” So he kills them all. Job falls on his face: “The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away.” Satan has to get permission to go after his body, and he gets it. But God says, “Don’t you kill him.” Jesus says, “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat.” Satan came to God in the case of Peter. What that means is he wants to take Peter and, through some kind of fear or sin, squish him through the grate so that Peter comes out here, and faith stays there. Then you have a faithless Peter, with faith sifted out. That’s what was going on that night. Satan wanted to make him really afraid,  take all faith out of his life. That’s what Satan designed to do. Jesus says; “But I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” He did not say, “If you turn again, I hope you’ll be a strengthener.” He was sovereign over Satan’s designs right there. “I’m praying for you, Peter. I have interceded with the almighty God, and we have decided: you will deny me three times. You will cry, and when you cry, you will repent. And when you repent, you will become a rock. And on this rock, I will build my church.”

I come by this morning to let you know that God is for us because He has adopted us into His family and has made us joint-heirs with His Son. All we have to do is trust Him and He shall prevail on our behalf. Because the Lord Jesus Christ has died and risen and has been exalted at the right hand of God the Father, there to intercede for us, God has justified us once and for all. Be bless and I love you!!! JE